Got Cabbage? Try Homemade Sauerkraut!

The homemade sauerkraut European immigrants brought with them to United States included a wider variety of ingredients than fermented cabbage and salt. Apples, turnips, juniper berries, wine, garlic — and Brussels sprouts — were all part of the mix.

If you’ve only eaten store-bought, canned sauerkraut, you owe it to yourself to try the homemade variety. Fresh sauerkraut has a crunchier texture, a delightfully tangy flavor and a much greater potential for interesting recipes.

When European immigrants brought the technique for fermenting cabbage to the United States, many of their recipes included surprising ingredients such as apples, turnips, juniper berries, wine and garlic. In fact, traditional sauerkraut is very similar to the Korean dish kimchi, a food that’s also made with fermented cabbage but that contains additional vegetables, such as radishes and cucumbers, and is seasoned with ginger and other spices.

There’s nothing wrong with the classic, just-plain-cabbage variety of sauerkraut usually eaten on a hot dog or pork chop. But homemade sauerkraut made with additional vegetables, herbs and spices is more than a condiment; it’s a delicious side dish all on its own — and a surprisingly healthy one.

Superhealthy Sauerkraut

Perhaps because it’s often paired with hot dogs, sauerkraut doesn’t have a reputation as an especially healthy food, but that’s been changing in the last few years. One reason is that sauerkraut is a live-culture “probiotic” food. Fresh sauerkraut contains lactobacilli, beneficial bacteria that improve the functioning of the digestive tract. Probiotic foods such as sauerkraut and yogurt are often recommended for people taking antibiotics, which kill both the beneficial and harmful bacteria in the body. Live-culture foods can help restore the beneficial bacteria.

Sauerkraut also is a good source of fiber and essential nutrients, including iron, vitamin K and vitamin C. In fact, in the 18th century, sailors ate sauerkraut on long voyages to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency.

Another interesting health claim was made last fall by a group of Korean scientists. They reported that feeding an extract of kimchi to 13 chickens with avian flu led to a much lower mortality rate in the birds. More research is needed to support this claim, but the announcement fueled a spike in sauerkraut sales last year. Scientists also are studying cabbage and other vegetables in the brassica family for their potential to prevent breast cancer.

In spite of its many health benefits, most sauerkraut is still loaded with salt. If you’re on a low-sodium diet, you may be better off avoiding sauerkraut entirely, or making your own at home with a low-salt recipe.

Do Try This at Home

Making your own sauerkraut is a terrific way to preserve an abundant harvest of cabbage, and it’s a remarkably simple process that requires just two basic ingredients — shredded cabbage and salt. A few simple tools can make the process even easier. You can shred the cabbage with a regular vegetable grater, but a full-sized cabbage slicer is easier and more fun. These large graters look like antiques, but you can purchase one through eBay for $15 or less.

Once you’ve shredded the cabbage, you’ll need to pack it tightly in a suitable container. Many people use a large crock, but a food-grade plastic bucket also works. Next, you’ll need to put something heavy on top of the shredded cabbage, which will help it release water. The usual technique is to cover the cabbage with a plate, and then put a couple of clean rocks on top. If that seems a little too old-fashioned, a bag full of water also works as a weight.

At this point, you can sit back and let the cabbage ferment. The shredded cabbage releases water, which combines with the salt to form vegetable brine. Bacteria on the cabbage create lactic acid, which acts as a preservative. As the cabbage ferments, scum floats to the top of the container. Don’t worry, scum is normal. Just remove it regularly so it doesn’t inhibit fermentation.

Cabbage ferments quickly at room temperature and will be ready to eat in two or three weeks. At cooler temperatures, fermentation is slower, but the kraut stays crunchier and may have better flavor. Also, sauerkraut will spoil more quickly if you don’t keep it cool (if it turns dark brown, it’s spoiled) so keep it in a cool place, such as a refrigerator or root cellar, unless you plan to can it or eat it all within a few weeks.

Information Resources

The Joy of Pickling: 200 Flavor-packed Recipes for all Kinds of Produce from Garden or Market
By Linda Ziedrich

Keeping Food Fresh: Old World Techniques and RecipesBy The Gardeners and Farmers of Terre Vivante

Megan E. Phelpsis a freelance writer based in Kansas. She enjoys reading and writing about all things related to sustainable living including homesteading skills, green building and renewable energy. You can find her on Google+.

What does one do after it has fermented? Can it be transferred to a canning jar and processed to preserve it? I have a few people interested in the final product and what to know how to share it with them. Thanks!

Lisa Sharpe

5/28/2012 1:39:10 AM

Is it possible to add sugar and caraway seeds before canning to create a Bavarian style kraut or would that create a preservation problem? I can't think of a reason it wouldn't work but have no idea what the proportions would be. Suggestions?

Rebecca Baer

11/5/2011 10:03:16 PM

I've developed a couple sauerkraut recipes you may want to try. The first is a confirmed hit. The second includes beets and is still a work in progress. http://rebeccabaerartfulliving.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-sauerkraut.html http://rebeccabaerartfulliving.blogspot.com/2011/11/homemade-sauerkraut-sweet-sour-beet.html

BILL VAN BEERS

3/29/2009 11:15:34 AM

NEED INFO ON HOW TO MAKE SOLAR HOT WATER USING EXISTING HOT WATER HEATER

Liz Peters

12/25/2008 11:03:51 AM

Jehan - My mother used to make sauerkraut in wide mouth canning jars (Mason jars). She would pack the cabbage in the jars, top with salt, and have us kids tamp it down tightly, pulling the moisture out of the cabbage. When it was fully tamped down she'd add more cabbage and salt and we'd pound some more. After the jars were full of salty, wet, pounded cabbage she'd top it off with water to cover and another half teaspoon of salt. I don't remember if she sealed the jars. I'd like to know if others have used this method or know if it should be sealed for food safety reasons.

Janine_1

12/21/2008 9:36:06 PM

It really is easy. You can look up sauerkraut and buy kits online which are basically the crock and the supplies vary. The first time I sliced the cabbage myself. Then, I found a slicer at costco that does the trick. My first batch was crunchier but you include juice from the last batch to get a head start on bacteria growth. I use juniper berries and caraway seeds(my kit came with them). I'm going to add garlic and onion the next time. Pick heavy tight caggage and organic is better( I've read this and it was true in my experience.)This is really worth the effort.

Barbara_4

11/5/2008 1:49:54 PM

I would like to know if there is somewhere in the Portland, OR/Vancouver,WA area that makes fresh sauerkraut and sells it. I do not have the time or necessary items to make and store my own homemade kraut.
Barbara

jehan

9/5/2008 4:18:53 PM

how would one go about canning it? putting it in mason jars, and sealing them?

Arthur Ayres

8/11/2008 12:52:47 PM

Years ago, I purchased a magazine called The Mother Earth News. I got the first issue ever published and still have #1 through #144 issues. I found it to be a most fascinating magazine, but then I moved to England and lost track of the magazine. I still enjoy reading it when I come across a copy.The original publishers, the Shuttleworth's were true visionaries.
Sincerely,
Art Ayres

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